Be DoNe

that there are three champions who are nearing their finish lines.

VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. Perhaps the greatest middle-order in history.

For years India has been waiting anxiously in the hope that their transition out of the team would be smooth. Ganguly did the team a favour by retiring early, but the time has finally come to plan for the future – for it seems as if the selectors have not yet worried themselves with this particular thought.

experienced in the West Indies, Caribbean pitches are no friends of batsmen either.

Many argue that changing the nature of Indian pitches means negating India’s home advantage. But this is far from the case – there simply needs to be some more variety in the Indian tracks. In Australia, the Gabba in Brisbane is famous for its green tinge, while many see Perth as the fastest, bounciest track in world cricket. Meanwhile, Sydney favours spinners and Adelaide favours the batsmen.

In India there is no such variety –at least not to this degree. Batsmen such as Ravindra Jadeja have scored triple centuries at will; Yusuf Pathan recently hit a double century for West Zone in the 4th innings of a match to set up a record run chase of 536. While not taking away anything from their achievements, to me this is a farcical situation. It would be absurd to imagine similar results around the rest of the world in first-class cricket.

India needs to quicken up their pitches and leave some more grass on them – if not to encourage fast bowlers and get them pitching the ball up, then to regularly test the batsmen so they aren’t rudely caught out with technical flaws on tour.

A phasing out of the old guard

How do you tell a champion his time is up? That is the question Indian selectors are facing right now – although the problem is compounded for them by the fact if india is to begin a rise back to the top and remain there, no longer can there be a board obsessed with making profit and asserting authority.

Meanwhile, Laxman has never been a man in a “purple patch” – he seems to always find himself on the cusp of being dropped before inevitably producing a match-saving performance.

It is obvious that if all three were to retire at once, the effect would be disastrous. Luckily, however, Tendulkar still looks utterly formidable at the crease. It is around him that the selectors should base the younger members. Initially, I found the call for the heads of Dravid and Laxman extremely harsh – after all, Dravid was the highest run-scorer in Test cricket last year, and one of the only bright spots of an otherwise dismal tour of England. Meanwhile, Laxman has never been a man in a “purple patch” – he seems to always find himself on the cusp of being dropped before inevitably producing a match-saving performance.

These greats have given Indian cricket an unbelievable amount. However, giving the matter more thought, it became evident that there is a much bigger picture. At the end of the day, they are serving the country – the country is not serving them. The message to the younger players must be clear: if you are playing for India, you must perform. There can be no two ways about it. Dravid may have just produced the season of his career, and in days gone by there would have been sense in persisting with him. He has just turned 39, though, and there is now little to gain. Laxman, meanwhile, is 38, and quite simply has nothing more to offer the team – his overseas record in the last two years is abysmal, although his prodigious talent will let him score in home conditions.

The top 7 in the next couple of years should read: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Chetashwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni. The selectors should also consider moving Virender Sehwag down the order - the highest opening partnership in the first 3 Tests this series has been 24 – and against a rampant Australian attack, an early confidence boost is the last donation you want to make. A talented Ajinkya Rahane is waiting in the wings – Sehwag cannot hope to forever stay in the team based on

Suresh Raina or Manoj Tiwary should slide in down the order.

As Raina recently said, simply imagine an Indian team with those names. Without a Tendulkar, Dravid or Laxman, India might seem fragile at best. But it will be the best fielding unit in the world – and this on its own is like playing with an extra batsman. Exciting times lay ahead, but the preparation must begin now.

Changes at the top

All of the above, however, begin with changes in administration. If India is to begin a rise back to the top and remain there, no longer can there be a board obsessed with making profit and asserting authority. No longer should the IPL be the focal point of the calendar – the board should regard overseas Tests with the utmost priority. No longer should the board be reluctant in releasing players to play in overseas leagues – a county stint has benefitted each and every one of the greats in this batting line-up, and it would be foolish to declare their success was in no way connected to their time in the English first-class scene.

And no longer should the board be happy with the team becoming number one. It is much easier to reach the top than it is to stay there – as England will soon find out, it’s always tougher with a crosshair on your back.

The time has come for an Argusstyle review in Indian cricket. The only question is, who will start the ball rolling?